Novus Phantasma
by Desdemona Everhart
Summary: The shadow rippled, pausing, before replying, "Why, just a little reunion party alongside some other like-minded people. There'll be cake, soda, and of course…" Marth paled, a feeling of foreboding twisting his gut into a thousand slimy knots. "Sweet, bloody revenge!" What was supposed to be a high-spirited tournament, becomes a deadly fight for survival.
1. Prologue: Incoming Challenges

**Prologue- Novus Phantasma**

**Day I- Coliseum**

The crowd cheer was an endless roar, drowning out the commentator's remarks. Darting from side to side, Lucina dodged a volley of arrows, retaliating with a swift uppercut. Surprised by the speed, Pit tumbled to the side, off-balance. Following up to her advantage, the navy-haired princess leapt up in the air, slicing her glowing sword in a downwards arc.

The angel's blue eyes widened in a wave of his hand, he summoned a shield of light, deflecting the princess's blow in a shower of sparks.

Landing on her feet, she gave Pit an encouraging smile. "Not bad," she said with a wink. Pit hovered an inch above the ground before landing. He held his bow out to her.

"Same to you," he replied cheerfully, running a hand through his messy brown locks.

_Flirting with your opponent_? a voice inside his head, echoed. Pit sighed and hung his head.

"Lady Palutena…"

From her seat in the stands, the goddess chuckled, shoveling a handful of popcorn into her mouth. _Never thought you'd resort to using your charm to win a fight_.

"I-it's not like-" Pit began, his voice rising to a yelp as Lucina charged at him, sword drawn back. He threw his bow out in front of him, blocking the attack. With the speed of an asp, Lucina switched hands, striking at him from the left.

He cried out as her hit connected, knocking him halfway across the coliseum.

_This is embarrassing_… Another voice chimed in, inside of Pit's head. The angel groaned as he recognized the voice.

"Viridi… what are you doing here?" He got to his feet, summoning a cobalt arrow and letting it fly.

_To watch, you dweeb! _snapped the diminutive nature goddess. _But this was a waste of eight dollars, not counting the two hundred I spent to buy a stinking one day pass! Like, seriously, eight dollars for popcorn? Who charges that much? And would you just look at this container! Glazed with wax, unable to be recycled. Humans can be so-_

_Calm down, Viridi_, Palutena mused.

Having blocked the arrow, Lucina dashed forward with a determined expression. Pit leapt upwards and let loose another arrow. It curved downwards, hitting the golden shield pin that decorated Lucina's outfit, cracking it. She stumbled backwards, allowing Pit to launch another arrow.

It hit her in the arm, splattering blood on the ground. She staggered, reeling from the pain.

Pit hurled towards her, foot first. Springing backwards, she avoided the blow and threw a leg up, hitting the angel in his face.

_Hey… can I have some of that soda_? Viridi asked Palutena as Pit tumbled backwards, hitting his head against the ground.

_I paid five dollars for this. What do you think, Viridi? _Palutena replied, rolling her eyes as she shoveled another fistful of popcorn into her mouth.

_Hmph!_

A glowing sphere flashed into existence in the coliseum. The crowd gasped. Radiant and shimmering with a rainbow aura, the smash ball hovered a foot above the fighters' heads.

Lucina and Pit lunged, arms outstretched. A smile broke out on Pit's face as his fingers brushed the orb, but-

A sharp pain exploded throughout his jaw as Lucina punched him. He fell to the side, gasping as he spat out a globule of blood. A blue-clad fist wrapped itself around the orb, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

A halo of light blossomed around Lucina. With a thin smile on her face, she turned towards Pit. "Do you want this to go any further?" she asked.

Pit gripped his bow and snapped it in two, holding a graceful blade in each hand. "Just because you got it, doesn't mean that I can't dodge your att-"

Lucina raised her blade and let out a fearsome battle cry. The aura enveloping her, exploded, into a million shards of light as she charged the angel down. "This is it!" she shouted as she slashed her sword, hitting the blade of Pit's bow.

There was a pause. Then-

A flash of light exploded from the blade. The air exploded with a deafening _boom_, and Pit was blasted away, slamming into the pillars of the coliseum. He crashed to the ground, unconscious.

Lucina beamed and pulled out her signature mask, placing it on her face. Turning to the crowd, she raised her sword high.

"_And the winner is Lucina_!" roared the commentator.

Palutena sighed and continued to eat her popcorn, while Viridi performed a facepalm.

**Day I- Hyrule Castle**

From his perch on the battlement's wall, Link could see all of Hyrule. An endless expanse of verdant green meadows, dotted with graceful stone buildings and charming cottages, and banded with silver ribbons stretch out below him, far as they eye could see. It was a peaceful day, just the kind of day he needed before his match tomorrow.

Him vs. Robin.

Impa- his friend, Zelda's, old nursemaid- had told him that he had it. That the victory would be his, and he had no reason to disagree. Still, it would be a good fight. A close one. He had seen the mage fight before, and he was a fearsome fighter. In a spectacular display of power, the young mage had wiped the floor with the enigmatic Mr. Game & Watch, allowing him to continue to the semi-finals in the Cross-Dimensions Tourney.

"There you are," a female voice called out, breaking up the warrior's train of thought.

He craned his neck to the side, allowing himself a small smile as Princess Zelda walked up beside him. "I was looking all over for you," she continued, tilting her head to the side. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, leaning back a bit. Zelda smiled, clasping her hands behind her back.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said. "Are you excited for your match tomorrow?"

A breeze blew through the area, swaying the princess's long brown hair. Link shrugged and casted a look at the view. Zelda let out a slight laugh. "Heh… Fair enough, you've been in so many battles by now."

The corner's of Link's lips quirked upwards. Seeing it, Zelda broadened her grin and took a seat next to her friend. "I want to wish you the best of luck tomorrow." She laid a hand over Link's, looking at him warmly.

"I know you can win."

Those words blossomed into a warm feeling that spread throughout the warrior. With a smile, he dipped his head in thanks.

Zelda nodded back. "No problem."

**Day I- Unknown**

_It hurts… _Marth doubled over, panting for breath while red spots swarmed his vision. _It hurts… _His heart throbbed, slamming against his bruised rib cage as he collapsed to the ground. Gritting his teeth together, he looked up at his foe: a massive shadow, formless, save for the jagged purple and acid-green lines running throughout its colossal form.

"Wh-who… a-are… you?" he wheezed.

The shadow sighed, its form rippling. "Pity… they don't make champions like they used to? Back in the old days, the heroes could never defeat me, and that was before I got my head blasted off. Nowadays, I don't even need to lift a finger to fight. Not that I could, but you get my point… Don't you- uhm- what's your name?"

"Why should I tell you?" Marth managed, tightening the grip on his falchion.

"Impolite, aren't you? Keep that up, and you'll never make any friends. I'm just trying to get your name right. Has that become a crime nowadays?"

"Y-you…" Marth gasped as a fresh blast of pain shot through him, causing the world to list dangerously to the side.

"You… you really need to read a dictionary? Can't you call me something besides 'you'? Such as, your majesty? Your greatness? Your-"

"-Impossible." Marth rubbed his forehead, fighting the nausea that crashed over him like a tsunami.

"That's not very nice," the shadow chided, floating behind Marth.

"You're one to talk," he snapped. He staggered to his feet, using his sword as a cane. "What are you? And what are you planning?"

The shadow rippled, pausing, before replying, "Why, just a little reunion party alongside some other like-minded people. There'll be cake, soda, and of course…"

Marth paled, a feeling of foreboding twisting his gut into a thousand slimy knots.

"_Sweet, bloody revenge!_"


	2. I: Don't Worry

**I- Novus Phantasma**

**Day I- Halidom of Ylisse**

Lucina let out a loud sigh as she leaned her head back, soaking in the perfumed bathwater. In water laced with epsom salts, spiked with rosewater and lemon essence, and blanketed with thick foam, the princess was in an aquatic heaven.

She lifted her arm out of the water, glancing at the wound that the angel's arrow had made. Thanks to the Tourney's medical team, it was just a mere scratch now, but it still held a bit of a sting. She set it back in the water, and craned her neck back to stare at the murals that decorated the arched ceiling.

Her messenger, provided to her by the Tourney officials, beeped. She frowned, turning her head towards the clothes heaped next to the tub. A message? So soon? Wasn't it a bit early to give her, her next opponent? Or- she paused- was it another congratulation message?

The messenger fell silent.

She shook her head and turned away, sinking lower into the water. She had told the others she wanted some peace and quiet. Why wouldn't they listen?

The messenger beeped again.

Lucina let out a loud groan and rolled her eyes, clambering out of the tub, dripping wet. Her lips pursed thin, she sifted through her clothes and yanked the messenger out of her leather satchel.

Thin, circular, and rimmed with gold, the messenger's display screen showed the caller ID: Robin. She watched the light pulsate for another second before pressing the "answer" button.

"What is it?" she snapped as the holographic screen flickered into existence, holding it higher so as to only display her face.

"That's not very nice," Robin grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Lucina furrowed her eyebrows with a roll of her eyes. "Sorry if I came off as harsh, but I told all of you that I wanted a little privacy to unwind." She cast a sidewards glance. "Anyways, why are you calling me?"

Robin tilted his head to the side, his eyes wide. "What are you doing?"

The princess cocked her left eyebrow. "Where did that come from?" she retorted. The mage sighed and shook his head.

"Nevermind, I just wanted to ask you: do you remember what happened with Marth a couple days back?"

She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Yes," she answered, "why do you ask?"

Robin looked down, his expression, serious. A chill ran through Lucina, causing her to shudder, despite the profuse heat emanating from the bath. "Robin?"

"Ike and Roy are really worried," he answered after a tense moment of silence.

Unconciously, Lucina tightened the grip on the messenger. "Why is that?"

"He's dropped off the map," replied Robin. "He hasn't been answering any of his calls, and when we asked some of the other competitors, they haven't seen or heard anything from him either."

Lucina clenched her teeth. The Hero King Marth, missing? Not good. "Does it have something to do with what he was investigating?"

Robin nodded. "I imagine so, the problem is-"

"What?" interjected Lucina, narrowing her eyes.

Robin fell silent, looking sheepish. Lucina sighed and rubbed her forehead. "You have no clue what he was looking into, do you?"

The mage shrugged. "Unfortunately, you're correct."

"Didn't you ask him?" asked Lucina, unable to contain her growing irritation.

Robin bristled and moved off-screen. "Yes," he replied coolly.

Lucina stole a glance over her shoulder, then looked back at the screen. "I prefer it when you're on screen. I like to see the people I'm talking to," she remarked.

There was a shuffling noise and a loud sigh off-screen. Looking exasperated, Robin reappeared on-screen. "I'd prefer it if you don't automatically assume the worst. You can trust me, ok?"

Lucina nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes, sorry."

Robin nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "It's alright," he replied.

Lucina smiled back, wiping it off her face a second after it had appeared. "So, what did he tell you when you asked him?"

Robin hesitated a moment, then took a deep breath. "He just told us that it was nothing to concern ourselves over, and that the situation would be resolved quickly. He was so confident when he said it, that we-"

"We?" interrupted Lucina, widening her eyes.

"Ike was there," Robin answered with a roll of his eyes. "Anyways," the mage continued, "Marth was so confident we didn't press him, but now I'm beginning to wonder if that was a mistake…"

"It seems so," said Lucina.

Robin winced.

The princess shook her head, sucking in her breath and releasing it in a controlled stream. "Sorry, too strong?"

The mage nodded, looking as if somebody jabbed a sewing needle in his arm.

Lucina raked a hand through her bangs, brushing them out of her eyes. "My apologies. Is there anything you want me to do about this?" Much to her surprise, Robin shook his head.

"Then why did you call me?"

Robin gave her a look, as if to say "_really_?"

"I just want you to know, so that you don't worry too much."

Lucina grimaced, running a hand through her hair. "If you didn't want me to worry, then why did you tell me? I wouldn't of noticed."

Robin chuckled, shaking his head. "Lucina, you're a horrible liar," he quipped.

The corners of Lucina's lips quirked upwards. "That's it, I'm hanging up now," she said, feigning irritation. Her thumb moved towards the "end call" button.

"Hey, Lucina?"

Her thumb paused.

"Be careful," said Robin with a thin smile.

The princess nodded, her expression, thoughtful. "Of course," she replied, "same goes for you." Her thumb pressed the button.

The mage only had time to say "I will, thanks" before the screen, along with his image, was wiped from existence.

With a sigh, Lucina threw her messenger back into the clothes pile and climbed back into the tub, only to climb out, as the water was now lukewarm.

"Screw it," she mumbled under her breath, casting a black look at the bath, and scooped up her clothes. Throwing a thick cotton robe on, the princess exited the bath, handing her clothes to the first maid she encountered, and went to her bedchamber to take a nap.

She could not fall asleep.

**Day I- Skyworld**

The target exploded in a flash of violet light as Dark Pit's arrow hit the bullseye. Smirking, the dark angel nocked another arrow and let it fly, aiming at a target even further away.

It connected.

"Hey, how's it going?" a cheerful voice cried out.

The dark angel groaned as he recognized the voice. Turning towards his light counterpart with an exasperated expression, he folded his arms. "What?"

Pit, cheerful as ever despite the bandages wrapped around his forehead and left arm, tilted his head to the side. "Aren't you going to answer?"

Dark Pit shook his head, rolling his scarlet eyes. "Why do you do this?" he grumbled, looking to the side. Pit widened his eyes.

"Do what?"

Dark Pit sighed and shifted his weight. "Nothing," he said. "Anyways, it's going well enough."

Pit furrowed his brow. "What is?" he asked.

Dark Pit gaped at him, unable to believe that his light counterpart wasn't messing with him. Much to both his amazement and dismay, Pit appeared genuinely confused.

Two years hanging around his light counterpart, and he still couldn't get over how downright… _stupid_ Pit could be. This was what happened when you relied on others to do all your thinking. What a horrible life.

"Nevermind," replied Dark Pit in a clipped tone. Pit crossed his arms, pursing his lips into a pout.

"So mean."

Dark Pit stared at Pit, eyes narrowed and lips pressed thin. "I'm hardly known for being nice," he said, his voice containing an acrid edge.

"That's for sure," Palutena called out to the two. The two angels turned towards her as the goddess floated into the training area. Graceful, with a playful smile on her face, Palutena gave each of them a nod of her head, the intricate golden crown she donned, glinting in the bright sunlight.

"What are you doing here?" Dark Pit demanded.

Pit opened his mouth, offended by his dark counterpart's brisk tone; however, he was silenced by a quick nod from Palutena. The angel sighed and hung his head, taking an interest in the white cobblestones that the ground was made of.

"If you keep copping an attitude, I'm going to start charging you for use of this facility," Palutena said, unfazed by the withering glare the dark angel shot at her.

"Please, no," he huffed, his nostrils flaring.

Palutena chuckled, flexing her shoulders. "Oh, so you'll drop the sass?"

Dark Pit stared at her with a deadpan expression. Pit and Palutena exchanged a look. _He's hopeless_, Pit projected to the goddess, rubbing the back of his head. Palutena chuckled.

_He's quite thick in the head, just like somebody else I know_.

_Lady Palutena, why? _

Dark Pit snorted, shaking his head. _I can hear you, _he said in a snappish tone. _If you're going to have these secret, telepathic communications with each other, do it, you know, secretly_.

Palutena grinned, glancing at Pit who returned with a wide-eyed look of confusion.

"So, did you hear about today's match?" asked Palutena, to Dark Pit.

The dark angel nodded, giving his light counterpart a smug smirk. Pit averted his eyes, pouting.

"I saw the whole fight, via messenger stream. If Pit-stain over-"

"Hey!" yelped Pit, flinging a glare at Dark Pit, who pressed on, as if he didn't hear the angel.

"-here could think of a strategy himself, he might've been able to pull himself together." Dark Pit turned towards Pit, looking both exasperated and self-satisfied. Narrowing his eyes, Pit turned away and stuck his nose up in the air.

"Why are you always so mean?" Pit mumbled, jamming his chin into his chest. Dark Pit shrugged.

"I'm just opinionated, unlike you."

Palutena rolled her eyes and held her hand out. "That will be eight dollars, young mister."

Dark Pit's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?" he asked, placing a hand on his hip. Palutena flexed her fingers.

"You heard me. Eight dollars, hand it over."

Dark Pit sucked in his cheeks, giving the goddess an unpleasant look. "I don't have eight dollars on me at this very moment," he snapped. Palutena stared at him for a second, then clenched her hand into a tight fist and set it to the side.

"I'll be expecting my payment before the end of the day," she said.

Snorting, Dark Pit cast a sideways glance. "Good luck with that," he mumbled under his breath.

Palutena narrowed her eyes, placing both hands on her hips as she leaned forward. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing," Dark Pit said quickly, looking down at his sandals.

The goddess continued to stare at him, looking quite offended, and more than a little disbelieving.

"Wait, you were watching via a stream?" Pit asked, changing the subject. "Why didn't you show up in person?" Dark Pit performed a casual shrug.

"Trotting over to the coliseum seemed like a lot of effort, just to watch a person from the same space get their ass handed to them." He scuffled over to a marble column, leaning his weight against it.

"And… that's another eight dollars," Palutena remarked. "Keep talking."

Pit stared at his dark counterpart, struggling to understand what he was insinuating. "Just, what are you getting at?" he asked.

"Anyways, the officials who are in charge of pricing and stuff, are insane. They even charge competitors for a front row seat. Five hundred dollars." Dark Pit shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ridiculous."

Pit paused, confused. "Wait… they charge the competitors more than the spectators?"

Dark Pit furrowed his brow, looking incredulous at Pit's remark. "Uh… _No_. It's three thousand dollars for a front-row seat for a spectator, which is insane. You could pay for two months' mortage with that amount of money."

Now Pit was _really _confused. "But... Viridi only had to pay two hundred for a front row seat," he protested, his voice faltering.

Dark Pit turned towards Palutena, giving the goddess a suspicious look. Palutena sighed and straightened herself, holding her palms out as she gave the two of them a nonchalant shrug.

"Goddess Special? Pretty woman special? Perks of divinity?"

Pit buried his face in his hands. Dark Pit gaped at Palutena, his upper lip curled back.

"_Sure_."

Palutena let out a weak laugh. "Anyways, I ordered takeout. How 'bout some cheeseburgers?"

Pit's head snapped up, his expression brightening. "Really?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

Palutena nodded, folding her hands together. "Yes," she said, shooting a glance at Dark Pit. "And this young man over there is picking up the tab."

"_What?_"

Palutena gave the dark angel a simpering grin. "Don't worry, it's only thirty two dollars. You'll be covered for two more slip-ups after this."

Dark Pit threw his hands up in the air. "Two things: one, you're missing the point; and two, what kind of burger joint charges thirty two dollars for a couple of cheeseburgers?"

"The good kind of burger joint!" Pit replied, punching the air.

Dark Pit groaned and rubbed his forehead, looking up towards the sky. "You people keep missing the point."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello! This is Des here, presenting the second chapter of Novus Phantasma! Now, I apologize for not introducing myself last chapter. I'm a bit shy (No, actually I was too lazy to introduce myself next chapter) But, here I am,saying: thanks for reading! Also, thanks to the lovely people who stopped to review and favorite my story. Your support is much appreciated! And, may I add as to how sweet you guys were for doing so? I know that the prologue wasn't my most brilliant piece of writing, and that it was sort of all over the place. Hopefully, I did better this time. I also hope I didn't butcher Dark Pit's personality. He's one of my favorite characters of all times, yet he just seems to be sort of hard to portray, you know? He's adorkable (like Pit), but at the same time, darker and more reserved and independent... augh! It's hard... Really... it's hard. <strong>

**Anyways, I'll just stop rambling and give my darling reviewers their replies! **

**Twilight Joltik-** Really? It does? Even with that sort of "meh" beginning? Thanks. Really, much thanks. A lot of things will be happening throughout the story, including as to what's happened to Marth. I promise you, you won't see it coming! Though, I will say, since this is SSB, nothing is off the table when it comes to which character is going to pop in and utterly ruin things for everyone.

**BRSxANE- **I'm happy to hear that you're liking this! I hope that you continue to keep liking this, and yes... Pittoo has appeared.

**Guest- **I can totally see those two together. To be honest, I would ship Pit x Lucina if I wasn't so devoted to Pit x Palutena. Hence, that's probably why you did see a little tease between them.


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